26 November [1805]

Though as you will
see by the date, it is some time since I received the enclosed from MrPhillips, yet I was able to see him in town only
two days since & I was on the point of writing to you whenyours arrived.

I own I feel
considerable perplexity in settling the affair on account of the great &
unexpected excess of your MS above the quantity directed. MrP.says that it is essential to the success of this
work that it should come within two volumes, which will make it absolutely necessary
that the part you have written should bemuch abridged. He does not wish
to be exact about a few pages, but cannot possibly allot room for so large a
superfluity. What then can be done upon the principle of my award but to reduce
it within the stated limits, & be content to lose in proportion.2

MrJohnson,to
whom I stated the case, & who perfectly approved theaward, sees
the difficulty in the same light, & thinks itwould be
unjust that Phillip’s should pay for what he cannotlose^use^
without altering his whole plan. I see therefore nothing to be done, but that
you should send back for the M.S. & fit it as well as you can to the
compass prescribed,after which I think there will be no difficulty
to bring the matter to a speedy settlement.

I return MrP’s paper ofdirections as a voucher for thejustness of
the consolation, & remain

2The
work will appear in three volumes, not two, so Hays had her way in this matter and publishedh the bulk of her material despite Phillips’s
misgivings. As her next letter reveals, Hays had produced some
1700 pages related to her history, seeking after the above publication a
further publication aimed at children. This work did not materialize, but she
did complete her three-volume work,Historical Dialogues(1806-07).